Service Loop Ring for Catheter Wire Slack Management

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Solution Overview

Problem

Medical devices for minimally invasive surgery face challenges in accommodating the extension and retraction of wires and conduits due to limitations in the service loop's ability to minimize size for extension and maximize size for retraction, and the cost of support posts used in these devices.

Innovation Solution

A medical device design featuring a catheter body with a service loop ring that allows the elongate bodies, such as a fluid injection coil, to expand and contract longitudinally, managed by a housing with a service loop ring made from materials like plastic, thermoplastic, or metal, enabling optimal expansion and retraction without the need for costly support posts.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If a support post or confinement section is used to hold the service loop, then the service loop can be contained within the medical device, but the service loop's ability to expand and contract is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice loop sizeVSAvoidservice loop expansion and contraction ability

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent removes the support post or confinement section from the medical device design. By extracting this limiting structure, the service loop is freed to expand and contract without restriction, allowing it to assume various shapes and sizes as needed during device operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The service loop is designed as a segmented or modular component that can be configured in different ways. The loop can be divided into sections that can independently expand or contract, providing greater adaptability while maintaining containment within the device architecture.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Ease of manufacture

If a support post is used to support the service loop, then the service loop can be contained, but manufacturing and assembly costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanufacturing costVSAvoidsupport post structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent eliminates the support post component entirely from the design. By removing this expensive-to-manufacture and assemble part, the overall device complexity is reduced and manufacturing costs are lowered, while the service loop functionality is maintained through alternative design approaches.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The service loop is integrated directly into the existing device architecture without requiring a separate support post structure. The loop is combined with other device components in a way that eliminates the need for additional structural elements, simplifying manufacturing and assembly processes.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11992631B2Service loop ring

Publication Date: 2024.05.28 BOSTON SCIENTIFIC SCIMED INC

AI summary

A medical device including a catheter body, a first elongate body, and a service loop ring. The catheter body has a catheter shaft. The first elongate body extends through at least part of the catheter shaft and is configured to move longitudinally in the catheter shaft. The first elongate body is looped through the service loop ring to form a service loop configured to expand and contract as the first elongate body moves longitudinally in the catheter shaft.